Bethesda began the past decade withSkyrimbreaking records back in 2011. However, since then the studio has struggled to live up toThe Elder Scrolls 5’s legacy, or surpass it with its subsequent RPGs.Fallout 4, while financially successful, was considered by many to be a better shooter than it was an RPG.Fallout 76, the first multiplayer addition to the series, was received poorly by many fans, and damaged hopes that Bethesda would ever be able to live up toSkyrimagain.
The studio is tackling a new IP for the first time in decades,Starfield, making predicting its success over the coming decade even harder. However, while the 2020s may present Bethesda with an unclear future, the studio has one big ace up its sleeve.
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RPG Remakes and Remasters
The Elder Scrollsis one of the most popular RPG franchises of all time, as well as one of the longest-running.Skyrimreleased back in 2011,Oblivionin 2006, andMorrowindin 2003, with others before that. Even the last game in the series,Skyrim, is approaching its ten-year anniversary. While this has left many fans impatient for news aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6, it presents Bethesda with a huge opportunity could take on over the next decade.
Over the past few years, remasters and remakes have become increasingly common ways for big game developers to ensure some more reliable income while the studios work on future projects. Just earlier this month, BioWare announced theMass Effect Legendary Edition, a remaster of the originalMass Effecttrilogy which is set for release in 2021.
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Bethesda’s Past and Future
If Bethesda were to remakeOblivionor, perhaps more likely,Morrowind, the RPG giant could bank on the success of its past without having to worry about the direction of the franchise’s future on the next-gen consoles. Remaking or remastering a game likeMorrowindwould be no easy task, but it’s far from impossible.Skyrimmodders from theSkywindand Skyblivion projects have long been working on rebuilding both games inSkyrim’s engine. Not only is Bethesda a far larger operation, but with its recent acquisition by Microsoft could have access to good funding for additional projects like this.
Neither Skywind nor Skyblivion have playable builds yet which have been released to the public, and though the Skywind devs released a video earlier this year hinting that the project was moving along and asking for additional support, neither attempts at fan-made remasters have a set release date asSkyrimapproaches its 10-year anniversary. If nothing else, remakes appear to be a trend on the rise in video gaming, with major franchises of the early 2000s and 2010s likeHaloandMass Effectreceiving remakes and remasters. The success of theHaloremastersin particular has made the practice more popular among large game developers looking to cash in on nostalgia.
This could be Bethesda’s path forward through the 2020s, remastering older games likeMorrowindwith new teams as the studio grows while a core team keeps working on future installments likeThe Elder Scrolls 6. It is possible that the immensemodding community thatThe Elder Scrollsgames have and encourage could render this unnecessary, though any modded remasters wouldn’t make Bethesda a dime outside of the base game’s purchase. With more and more developers turning to remasters, more studios like Bethesda, with uncertainties about their major franchises' futures, may turn to their pasts.
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